Flexible gun mount



Aug. 12, 1924;

H. O. RUSSELL T L FLEXIBLE GUIY MOUNT Filed April 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ff {4f/- Aug. 12, 1924. 1,504,719

H. O. RUSSELL ET AL FLEXIBLE GUI'Y MOUNT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18 Patented Aug', 12, 1924.

U Nir astma ricos.

HERBERT O. RUSSELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND CHARLES LEIGI-I PAULUS, OF

DAYTON, OHIO. i

FLEXIBLE GUN MOUNT.

Application filed April 18, y1922. Serial No. 555,424.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT O. RUSSELL and CHARLES LEIGH PAULUs, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Detroit and Dayton, in the counties of Wayne and Montgomery and States of Michigan and Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Gun Mounts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flexible gun mounts, especially adapted for large cockpits in aircraft and is intended to facilitate adjustment of the gun vertically and in azimuth.

One object of my invention is to provide a flexible gun mount permitting the adjustment of the gun to any desired position, which may be locked in its various positions by a single locking handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide as part of the mount, a wheeled carriage movable along a curved track, together with means for simultaneously lifting the wheels of the carriage out of 'contact with the track and applying brake shoes to the track so that the mount will be solidly supported when fired.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a plan view of the wheeled carriage and gun mount.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof partly in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through vthe gun mount taken centrally of the hub.

Figure 4: is an end view of the mount showlng the brake shoe arrangement.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the hub of the mount taken about centrally thereof.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the track.

Figure 7 is a cross section through the track.

Referring to the drawings, the gun mount 1 is supported by two spaced vertical castings 2-2, forming a carriage upon which are mounted the wheels 3 adapted to run on a double track 4 the same being shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7 and comprising in addition to the rails 4, ties Ll arranged at intervals along the rails.

The Vgun mount is pivotally supported on a horizontale' axis by means of a hub 5 journaled in bearings 6 on the carriage. Male and female locking cones or clamping members 7 and 8 are provided near the opposite ends of the hub, a female locking cone being rigidly mounted one in each casting 2, and a male cone being fixed one at each end of the shaft or hub 5, so that as the two cones 8 8 move away from each other, the shaft 5 will be permitted to rotate. The cones 8 are adapted to be moved into and out of clamping position by. means of a clamp-operating member 9 shown in the form of a longitudinally movable rod which passes centrally through the hub and also through the clamping members 7 and 8 and the bearings 6. A sleeve 10` extends axially into one end of the hub 5, and is rigidly connected thereto. At the one end the sleeve 10 has a crank arm 11 fast thereon. This crank arm extends radially with respect to the axis of the hub and has a longitudinally movable rod 12 threaded therein, as shown in Figure 3. At the other end of the rod? 12 alaterally extending handle 13 is fixedly connected so that the rod 12 may be turned by means of the handle 13v to effect-a longitudinalV movement of said rodor which may serve as a means for manipulating or turning the crank arm 11 to impart a rotative movement to the rod 9. A limiting stop 12l and stop pin 13 are provided to limit the rotational movements of arm 11. The bell crank lever 14 pivotally `mounted on the crank arm 11 has one end bearing against and operable by the adjacent end of the rod 12 and the other end pivotally connected at 15 to the adjacent end of the rod 9.

- The cones and the hub 5 serve as a means for connecting the castings 2 together to form a rigid carriagewhen the cones are in their clamping position. lVhen the handle 13 is rotated to move the rod 9 longitudi' nally to the left as shown in Fig. 3, the pressure on the conesis partially removed, permitting the adjustment of the gun about the axis of hub 5.

Mounted centrally on the rod 9 is an eccentric cam 16, on which is freely mounted the eccentric sleeve 16 in which is lixed a projection 16', which is connected to a pin in one or more yokes 17". The yoke 17 is positioned transversely between the castings 2-2 and parallel thereto and is provided with track engaging shoes 18 atY each side. The shoes 1S are positioned above the horizontal extensionsY of the track and when the gun mount rests upon the Wheels 3, there will be a small clearance between the track and shoes. A track engaging shoe 18 which normally just clears the track, is also mounted below the same on each side of the two castings 2.

As a result of this construction when the handle 13 is operated to rotate the shaft 5, the Yeccentric sleeve will operate to press downwardly on yoke 17, thus raising the gun and the mount until the brake shoes 18 and 178 press against the track. This will relieve the wheels 3 from the Weight of the gun and mount, and lock the mount soundly on its position'on the track. In this manner, theI carriage or mount may be locked or released for movement along the track to adjust the gun in azimuth and in position to the desired side of the cockpit for effective use, or to clamp the carriage to the track Vin adjusted position so that recoil will be sustained by the track as a base. lVhen it is desired to move the muzzle of the gun up or down, the handle 13 may be turned on the axis of the rod l2 to release' the locking members or cones 7 and 8 from engagement, thus freeing the hub of the mount for Yturning movement. After the gun has been adjusted through the desired angle, it may be locked in that. position by reversing the direction of movementfof the handle 13. A strong coiled spring 19 tends to maintain the hub of the gun mount in an upright neutral position.

This spring is anchored to a rod 20, which is carried by shoes 21 on the wheel bearings on one side of the gun carriage,as shown in F ig. 2. Y

It will be apparent from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying dra-wings that the releasing and locking operations may all be performed by one hand leaving the other hand free for use in shifting the gun and performing other operations.

That we claim is 1. In a flexible gun mount for aircraft, a curved track, a wheeled carriage movable along said track, a gun supporting member mounted on saidV carriage, and means for raising said carriage off of its wheels so that the weightof the carriage is taken by flat track engaging members.

2. In a flexible gun mount for aircraft, a

curved track, a wheeled carriage movable along said track, a gun supporting member journalled in said carriage, a plurality of said track engaging shoes normally carried by said carriage above the track, and means for moving the carriage and shoes relatively so that the shoes are engaged with the track.

3. In a flexible gun mount for aircraft,

Va curved track, a carriage mounted by a said last mentioned means and said eccentric means.

5. In a flexible gun mount as set forth in claim 3, means for locking said gun supporting member and a device for selectively operating either said last mentioned means or said eccentricy means.

6. In a flexible gun mount for aircraft, a curved track, a wheeled carriage movable along said track, a gun supporting shaft provided V with a clutch member, a clutch member on said carriage, a manually controlled operating member extending axially of said shaft and clutch members, for bringing said clutch members into engagement, and means for raising said wheels above said track.

7. InA a flexibleV gun mount for aircraft, a curved track, a carriage movable along said track, a gun supporting shaft provided with a clutch member, a clutch member on said carriage, means for engaging said clutch members, and a torsion spring mounted on said sh-aftand urging said shaft to a predetermined position.

8. In a gun mount for aircraft, a gun support, meansl for moving said support about a horizontal axis, means for moving said gun support about a second axis, and a single mea-ns operable selectively to prevent rotation of said gun support about either of said axes. V

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

HERBERT O. RUSSELL. CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS. 

